A sign showing the facts about the Ebola virus is posted at the door of the Morungatuny Health Center in Amuria District in Eastern Uganda. The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa has killed more than 1,000 people.

Since March, the deadly Ebola virus raging through West Africa is estimated to have sickened more than 14,000 people, and claimed the lives of nearly 5,200. It is the biggest outbreak recorded since the virus was discovered in 1976.

This time the virus spread from rural to urban areas and across multiple national borders in countries with poor healthcare and sanitation. More than 5,500 cases have been identified in Sierra Leone, where World Vision has worked since 1996 and is responding to the outbreak in villages.

Please join World Vision in praying for the people in West Africa whose lives are affected by this devastating disease.

Suggested prayer points

Pray for those suffering from Ebola and for their family and friends.

There is no known cure for Ebola, but people who are diagnosed and seek skilled medical treatment early have a chance to recover.

Dear Lord, You healed bodies, minds, and spirits during your ministry. We ask Your healing power to be manifest to the girls and boys, women and men whose lives are threatened by the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa. May they receive the treatment they need for their bodies to fight the infection. May they know the comfort and assurance of Your presence. May those who grieve the loss of loved ones find their hope in You.

Pray for people living in fear of Ebola.

Ignorance and fear lead people to avoid medical facilities, increasing the risk of spreading the disease through contact.

Heavenly Father, bring hope and clarity of mind to those who might not seek treatment for themselves or their loved ones because of fear.

You, whose “prefect love drives out fear … ” (1 John 4:18), embrace Your children whose lives are threatened by Ebola. May they heed Your message from Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Pray for all who work to care for the sick and cure Ebola.

Medical staff, family caretakers, nongovernmental organizations, and public health researchers around the world strive to contain the outbreak and save lives. World Vision staff in West Africa are working with government and community authorities, including religious leaders, to spread accurate information about Ebola and what to do about it.

In Your mercy, Lord, inspire and enable all those who labor to end the spread of Ebola. May their actions bear fruit in healthy lives and communities. We ask for your wisdom to fall on those who seek a cure for the disease. Protect caregivers from contracting the virus themselves.